Letters

Those who sought to keep Don Haskins out of the Hall of Fame are
not fit to carry his shoes.
--Thomas More Leinenweber, Chicago

THE ROCKET'S RED GLARE

Your cover picture of Roger Clemens in a Yankees uniform made me
sad (Booster Rocket, March 1). Unlike David Wells, Clemens has
no loyalty to the tradition of the Yankees. His loyalties have
been to personal milestones and to money. George Steinbrenner
went to the well once too often with this trade, and it will
come back to haunt him in October.
PAUL J. CURRAN JR., Orinda, Calif.

When things get uncomfortable for Clemens in New York, he will
quit on the Yankees just as he quit on the Red Sox and the Blue
Jays. Clemens is nothing if not predictable.
JIM KADRA, Ware, Mass.

Unbelievable. The Yankees did the one thing short of a plane
crash that could keep them from repeating--they traded for the
Wilt Chamberlain of baseball. They may have enough talent to
overcome the drag of Mr. Me, Myself and I, but I wouldn't bet on
it.
DAVID A. BOWER, Bangor, Maine

My memories of the 1986 World Series include Clemens's leaving
the sixth game because of a blister on his finger.
JOHN CUSHING, Mullica Hill, N.J.

While it is sad to see a flamboyant guy like Wells get traded,
the Yankees could hardly pass up the opportunity to get a future
Hall of Famer in Clemens.
JIM CLUTTER, Mt. Laurel, N.J.

How can the Yankees even begin to think they can improve a team
that won 125 games? They have rolled the dice with their team
chemistry by giving up two accomplished lefthanded pitchers plus
a promising young infielder to get Clemens.
BILL PARIETTI, Tualatin, Ore.

HEAD CASE

After 25 years of therapy, I thought I was finally over
Maryland's loss to North Carolina State in the 1974 ACC
conference final. Your article (Losers, Weepers, March 8) opened
up old wounds but also brought back wonderful memories of two
terrific teams.
GERALD KENNEY, Lake Bluff, Ill.

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Congratulations to Alexander Wolff for his fine article about
UTEP coach Don Haskins (The Bear in Winter, March 1). Although I
am neither old enough to recall the NCAA title game in 1966 nor
a follower of his career at UTEP, I wish I could sit in the RV
with him after a game, sipping some Scotch and listening to him
tell stories.
TOM CASSIDY, Algonquin, Ill.

I am thankful that Haskins's 1966 Texas Western team changed
college basketball forever. However, year after year I read
about the all-white Kentucky team that they defeated, as if it
were the only all-white team in the country. In reality, many
college basketball teams in those days were all-white. It's a
shame that Kentucky had enough talent to beat an all-white Duke
team in the 1966 semifinals. Had Duke won, history and SI might
have painted a different picture.
CHRIS HARPENAU, Atlanta

FATE'S FICKLE FINGER

How sad to read of New England Patriots running back Robert
Edwards's potentially career-ending injury (INSIDE THE NFL,
March 1). Adding insult to injury was the New York Giants'
signing Kerry Collins to a four-year, $16.9 million dollar deal.
If the Giants were in the market for a whiny, second-rate
quarterback, why didn't they pick up Jeff George? If there is
any justice, Edwards will hit the lottery and Collins will hit
the wall--again.
CLAY JACKSON, Edgewater, Fla.

BIG MAC ATTACK

Rick Reilly was off base in THE LIFE OF REILLY in the March 1
issue. Mark McGwire has a legal right to use the supplement
androstenedione. I have not heard him promote using it. If it
weren't for media members' prying into his life and then
reporting his use of andro, most of us wouldn't know what it is.
It is the media who have given the substance the publicity that
will attract young people to use it.
PAUL PERRY, Genoa, Ill.

Although I agree with Reilly that andro had nothing to do with
Mac's home run hitting prowess last season, I wonder how many
I-told-you-so's we'll hear if Mac dumps the pills and then hits
only 50.
GENE TRAUPMAN, Bethlehem, Pa.

Big Mac has nothing to prove to anyone, least of all to his son,
Matt. Look at the time he sets aside for Matt when he could
easily be one of those the-check-is-in-the-mail kind of parents.
JOHN HAGUE, Narragansett, R.I.

COLOR PHOTO: JAMES DRAKE

HE'S GOT GAMES

As you said, seven starters from the Maryland-North Carolina
State game (Losers, Weepers, March 8) later played in the NBA,
but you forgot to mention Tim Stoddard, who started at forward
for the Wolfpack and went on to a solid major league baseball
career as a relief pitcher (76 saves, 41 wins). He was with the
Baltimore Orioles when they played in the 1979 and '83 World
Series. When the Orioles won the latter, Stoddard became the
only player to be a member of an NCAA basketball championship
team and a World Series winner.
RANDY HAHN, San Diego